Is Virtual Reality The Next Big Thing?

What comes to your mind when you hear the words virtual reality (VR)? Do you imagine someone wearing a clunky helmet attached with a computer with really thick wires jutting out? Well, think again. Today, you can be transported to the immersive environment of Virtual Reality by simply wearing an eye gear, commonly referred to as Head Mounted Display (HMD) in VR terminology.

Imagine studying about the various organs inside our body through a visual model of the human body? How does the idea of scuba diving, without even stepping inside the water, sound to you? Or better still, imagine if your boring History class were to transform into an experience that allows you to walk through a historical monument and view it from all angles!

Isn’t that cool?

We can define the term Virtual Reality (VR), naturally, from the definitions for both ‘virtual’ and ‘reality’. ‘Virtual’ is something that is near and ‘reality’ is what we experience as human beings. So basically the term means ‘near-reality’. Although this could mean anything, but here it is usually referred to a specific type of reality emulation.

In school we have learned that we have five senses: taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing. We ‘understand’ the world through our senses and the perceptions that we make. Everything that we know about our reality comes from our senses. In other words, the entire experience of reality is a simple combination of sensory information and our brains trying to make sense of that information. We can also observe that if we present our senses with information that is completely made-up, our perception of reality would also alter in response to it. We would be presented with a version of reality that isn’t actually there, but from your perspective it would be perceived as real. Wow! Does that not open up a world of possibilities?

To summarise, we can say that virtual reality entails presenting our senses with computer generated visuals, creating a virtual environment that we can explore in some fashion. It is the combination of hardware, software and sensory synchronicity which gives a ‘sense of presence’. As someone who is experiencing ‘virtual reality’ we really feel that we are present in that environment.  So, imagine, how much more effective your learning will be if you were to learn Kepler’s Law  of planetary motion through VR that allows you to explore your way through the planets; a virtual panoramic tour with images overlaid with text that allow you to explore a planet from all sides?

All this sounds like  a lot of effort and hard work but is it really worthwhile? Undoubtedly so. For one, the engagement  value is magnificent. Video games and immersive films are the biggest examples. Other highly useful, applications of this technology could be in the fields of architecture, sports, medicine/healthcare and arts. Did we forget something? Virtual Reality in the field of Education. That’s what we started out this blog with, remember? Imagine, being able to interact with the objects in the environment in order to learn more about them. Can you picturize a VR ‘classroom’, where you are able to interact not only with each other, but also within a three dimensional environment?

With people steadily warming up to the various applications of VR, particularly  in the field of learning and education, you as students can be rest assured that subjects and ideas that seemed incomprehensible, can now be easily mastered in the most engaging  and coolest of ways. Of course, there are some initial hurdles related to time, cost and technological limitations, but one thing is certain- education surely has moved from the age of books, pencils and pens. This is the age for interactive technologies that allow exploration, and a hands-on approach not only helps you learn better but remember longer.

Keep watching this space for more updates on Virtual Reality!